Campus Visits

My favorite time of year is the first week of school. For me, it is better than Christmas morning. The first week is the payoff for an entire summer of planning, hard work and anticipation. After two days of sitting on the sidelines, I had to go visit schools. Over the last two days, I have visited 9 schools. Six with principals that I have a working relationship with, and three school with principals that I do not.

The difference between the two groups has been dramatic. There was a sense of excitement and fun on the LYS campuses. Teachers were teaching, students were engaged and there was no one wandering the halls. Things were a little more ragged on the non LYS campuses. Students and teachers were working, but they are already a half-step behind the LYS schools

Kudos to the students, staff and leaders of the six schools, you know who you are.

Think. Work. Achieve.


Your turn...

First Day of School - Report 6

Yesterday, I talked to principals of three of the schools that I recently began working with. All three had the variation of the same story. On the second day of school, they sat in on grade level / content area planning sessions. Quickly realizing that no one intended to do any actual planning, they jump started the process. The immediate question was, “Why the rush?”

To which the universal response was, “This is the second day of instruction. In twelve days we will have our first common assessment. Our students will be ready.”

All three were surprised by lack of initial urgency, yet excited by how the teachers responded after the issue was addressed.

This is a concrete example of a theme that is constantly touched on in the blog posts. People will do what they are allowed to do and people respond to more positively to inspired hands-on leadership than they do to remote managerial mandates.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

First Days of School - Report 5

The reports keep coming in. Another “Brown” Guy writes :

“I want to weigh in on the first day of school.

As you know, I just took over a school that was operating way below its potential. I was in every classroom yesterday and today. Yesterday was a typical 1st day - handing out paperwork, lockers, books and making ID's - but today we were teaching.

It's amazing what happens when you set a crystal clear expectation and then monitor to make sure it happens. According to some staff members, we will get at least a week jump on last year, instructionally.

SC Response
First, great job. This will be what, school number six that you will turn around?

Second, this writer touches on one of the things that drives me nuts about most schools. Every teacher I work with complains that there is too much to teach and not enough time to teach it (sometimes - a valid complaint). Yet most schools are comfortable easing into the school year, wasting anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks of instruction.

It is hard to argue against the unreasonableness of outside expectations, when so many of us provide ammunition for the opposition, starting on day one.

Now to finish on a positive, yesterday I visited this campus. No one knew that I was coming or who I was. Everyone staff member I talked to mentioned how much they like the new principal, his message, and how excited they are about this year. The message, "We will work hard and our students will succeed."

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

First Day of School - Report 4

More first day of school good news, a reader writes:

“I assumed the principalship of a high school that was unacceptable two years in a row. My first year we were Academically Acceptable. Last year we were Recognized.

This year for the start of school, we had a plan and worked the plan. By second period it was like a normal day. Good transition and instruction going on in every class. The key was we had a plan and each teacher bought into the plan.

Create a plan and work the plan. The tone for the entire year was set by having instruction on the first day, and forty-five minutes into the day.”

SC Response
Standard fare from a "Brown" Guy (or Gal)

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

First Day of School - Report 3

Again, I have had a number of good reports about the start of school. But, here is a telling comment from an LYS teacher leader at tough inner-city school.

“How often the does the first day of school operates by this simple rule?

'Don't hold students to a different accountability than the one you are willing to exercise for yourself.'

I sat in a staff meeting and listened as the principal reviewed the calendar, bell schedule and required discipline strategies thoroughly. He checked often for hearing. Teachers nodded their heads in agreement and consent. There were murmurings of consensus and understanding. When it came time for further questions new teachers raised their hands and veterans who had a need to exert being heard spoke without waiting. Everyone gave the appearance to being on the same page.

That is, until the first bell rang and students began to work their way through the halls with schedules in hand. No sooner said than done the very guidelines that had been presented to which there was uniform consent flew right out the window.

Was there any review of the expectations and changes with the students? No.

Did teachers demonstrate mastery skills of compliance and order? Apparently not!

But, teachers threw their hands up declaring "Nobody told me about that!" or "Don't complain to me, it wasn't my fault."

Maybe we would see great results on accountability assessments when we focus our own attention not to our own classroom processes but working together as a team sharing accountability in failures as much as we do in successes.

Thank goodness, we get to operate on a universal principal of the second day of school:

"There is always tomorrow!"

SC Response
Two things: Most teachers are conscientious and hard working; I don’t question that at all. But people, in general, do what is expected of them and what is monitored. That is why system failure is leadership failure.

It is not just enough for leadership to just state the expectation. Leadership has to monitor the expectation, not from the desk or office, but from the front lines where the action is. It is only from the front lines that leadership can identify needed resources and get them to staff in a timely fashion. It is only from the front lines that leadership can solve the little thing before it grows into a big thing. It is only from the front lines that leadership can immediately recognize and reinforce those putting forth an honest effort. And it is only from the front lines that leadership can address the “half steppers,” in order to get a little help for those who are motivated and on board.

If a few staff are not meeting expectations, that is a personnel issue. If a lot of staff are not meeting expectations, that is a system and leadership issue.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Start of School

Today is the first day of school for a lot of my friends and LYS readers out there.

Remember, finish like you start, and on the first day, every school is "Exemplary." So go hard and Game On!

Think. Work. Achieve.

Call me if you need me...